On Combating a Sore Throat

On Combating a Sore Throat

            Hey gang! Raven here, and today I'm going to share my go-to sore throat stoppers.  I guess I chose this topic to discuss because I've been fighting off a sore throat this week and I thought maybe there are those of you out there that haven't experienced the surefire throat soothers I have. So I shall gladly share them! 

           

            First, obviously if your sore throat persists for more than a few days or is accompanied by a fever you should probably see a health care professional because I am not one and I'm just a health and wellness coach sharing my own experiences with home remedies. There are things such as strep throat that require a doctors care to treat. Now that has been said, here are my favorite sore throat fixes!

1. Echinacea.  I actually had some trepidation or block against trying Echinacea for the longest time, I guess I just felt like it was 'overused' or 'overvalued' by the home remedy community. Recently, a friend of mine who has been operatically trained vocally advised that her instructor always had her go to Echinacea when she had a sore throat. At this I decided to sit up and pay attention because obviously the throat is the main instrument for an opera singer. So I decided to give it a whirl on my next sore throat experience. And she wasn't wrong! I drank two cups in a 24 hour period of organic Echinacea tea and I felt better the next day upon waking! Pretty impressed by this stuff, and honestly if its not strep - this is the best go-to for my sore throat. That said, it's not the best tasting and my mom even if she has a serious sore throat cannot get more than a sip or two in and then the rest gets wasted. So there have to be other go-tos, yes?

2. Oranges. A cold orange is not only soothing to the throat, but the vitamin C in oranges will boost your immune system and help kick whatever nasty is going on. Broccoli also has a ton of vit C, but its not quite as appealing when your throat feels swollen and sore. I'd go for a whole orange before a juice concentrate only due to the added sugars in the juice, but if you simply can't handle the whole orange, try to find an organic juice that still has its pulp so you get some fiber as well. The only other source of vit C (besides supplements which I always would recommend getting nutrients through food first) that I can handle when I have a sore throat is tomato soup, but oranges are just easier to swallow all around.

3. Oregano Oil. Oregano is a 'hot' oil meaning some people do not tolerate it well directly applied without dilution. I am one of those people, so typically I put 2-3 drops in a capsule and take the capsule. Some holistic docs I've read will do five drops directly under the tongue but this is far too much for me and I would burn my face off. I highly recommend testing anything you might use internally, externally first so in this case I would rub some oregano on the bottoms of my feet. This can tell you if you are sensitive to the oil (if it is too hot, use some coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or any carrier oil of your choice to dilute it), and the oil is also systemic so it will get into your system and start helping your immunity right away from this type of application. That said, I usually do the capsule. I'll start off with once a day and if I am still trying to kick something in 3 days I'll add another one at night before bed. It is one of my favorite healing oils and one I never am without!

4. Sunshine!  Sometimes all you need in life is some vitamin D. Our immune systems suffer in the winter because we often aren't getting enough rays, so try to make sure on days when the sun IS peeking out, that you expose your hands and face (with sunscreen, of course) to the light for around 15 minutes or so. Not only will it boost your immunity, it will lift any winter blues you might have as well. Win-win!

5. Warm salt water. Gurgle warm (sea) salt water several times a day to ease the symptoms of a sore throat. This tends to only work for me for a short while before I start feeling scratchy again, but it also seems to be effective as far as how my throat feels the next day after use (less irritated) so I definitely recommend this as a go-to throat soother.  Please try to resist swallowing the salt water, you really don't need too much salt throughout your day because its an additive in a lot of foods as a preservative.

6. Metaphysics - Say What you Need. Ok so this might not be the most popular theory, but there are metaphysics hypothesis that indicate that a sore throat could mean that you are not saying what you need to say.  Throat is dry, scratchy, and sore, but you aren't sure the cause? Speak up! Often our energies can become blocked by holding onto things we should be expressing. Try to speak up and see if that does not help soothe the aching throat. 

            These are just a few of the tricks that I turn to when combating a sore throat, beyond over the counter pain relief medicines which also can be effective at times. With less than a week of winter left, we will soon be back into the sun and fun of spring and summer, where our immunes are better and our Spirits are lifted. Have any additional remedies you turn to for a sore throat? Share them in the comments below, and Shine on~